Estes Park EDC: helping businesses recover is mission one

By Jon Nicholas

Trail-Gazette

Posted:
09/25/2013 09:54:47 AM MDT

Readers may be aware of the recent formation of the Estes Park Economic Development Corporation (Estes Park EDC). The Economic Development Task Force, initiated by Estes Valley Partners for Commerce, spent the first seven months of this year promoting the need for an economic development organization. The proposed mission was simple: provide programs and services that support business retention and expansion within the community, and business attraction aimed outside the valley.

A chief argument for forming such an organization was the risk of a natural disaster, such as a wildfire, disrupting our local economy. Promoting economic diversification and having programs to help existing businesses were two ways such an organization could help us prepare for such an emergency. No one realized how soon we would need a mechanism to align local businesses and provide local assistance.

In August, the Estes Park EDC incorporated, adopted by-laws, and ratified its initial board of directors. There were 30 organizations represented at the initial board meeting on August 15, with another newly formed technology company joining as a result of that meeting. The Estes Park EDC began collecting financial pledges from its sponsoring organizations

The Estes Park EDC board includes representation from public, private and non-profit organizations, starting with the Town of Estes Park and key special districts, major employers such as the Estes Park Medical Center, Rocky Mountain Park Inn and YMCA of the Rockies, and including four local business associations: the Estes Area Lodging Association, Estes Valley Partners for Commerce, the Estes Park Board of Realtors, and the Estes Park Wedding Association.

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September 12 was the date for the new organization to elect its officers. The flood of course postponed that meeting. In the midst of huge demands and stresses, our board met September 19 and elected an Executive Committee, charged with responding to the present crisis in a way that will serve the Estes Park EDC's original mission. Our Executive Committee consists of:

• Chair: James Pickering of EPIC

• Vice-Chair: Bobbi Swenson of Estes Park Medical Center

• Treasurer: Scott Pope of YMCA of the Rockies

• Secretary:Brad Sishc of Bank of Colorado

Four Officers at Large:

• Frank Lancaster of the Town of Estes Park

• Rainer Schelp of Estes Park Central

• Bill Van Horn of Stanley Village

• Thom Widawski of Verus Commercial

Together with the rest of our board, the Executive Committee faces the challenge of launching a new organization while responding to the immediate crisis. For the foreseeable future, the Estes Park EDC sees helping businesses respond to the flood as mission one.

The overall mission remains the same, but our regional partnerships now have a different focus. For example, as I write this the director of the Larimer Small Business Development Center (Larimer SBDC) is in Estes Park to provide additional help to local businesses that are filing loan applications with the SBA at the Business Recovery Center in the tour office at the Stanley Hotel. Local SBDC volunteers are offering to help staff a table to continue providing such assistance in the weeks to come.

We cancelled September workshops for jobseekers that were to be held at the Library. Instead, the Estes Park EDC provided the Larimer County Workforce Center with a list of businesses, both inside and outside town limits. A state phone bank will contact that list of businesses to offer assistance with workforce and unemployment issues. With a staff of one, the Estes Park EDC cannot possibly reach every business with accurate information concerning workforce issues. We can, however, ensure Estes Park receives the state and county resources necessary to address those issues.

In partnership with Adam Shake and a slew of local businesses, the rotary clubs and business associations, the Estes Park EDC is playing a role in distributing official information to local businesses. That started by preparing for the SBA officials a list of key local contacts, including Town officials, local press and business associations.

Again, there are a large number of people responding to this crisis. The EDC's mission remains the same, but the focus of our programs must change. For the foreseeable future, the Estes Park EDC will make mission one assisting our local business community respond to the flood. The connections already made to existing regional resources are proving valuable.

Sometime in the coming days, I will be able to establish email and a website for the new organization. Not surprisingly, the flood disrupted installation of our phones and internet—originally scheduled for September 11. For now, the best way to reach me with questions is through my existing library email: jnicholas@estesvalleylibrary.org. For businesses disrupted by the flood, the best starting point is to meet with SBA officials at the Business Recovery Center. Look for their official hours in a separate article in this paper.

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